Japanese Adventure At Heart Of London Showdown

LONDON: When Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari and Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger go head-to-head in today’s Premier League showdown, they will briefly put on hold a friendship forged in Japan a decade ago.

Scolari first met Wenger during a brief spell in charge of J-League club Jubilo Iwata in the late 1990s, while Wenger was running the show at Grampus Eight.

Although Wenger left for Arsenal soon after Scolari’s arrival, they met several times and quickly established a bond.

Wenger would go on to mould Arsenal into his own vision of a total football academy, while Scolari won the World Cup with Brazil playing an equally eye-catching style.

Scolari’s arrival at Chelsea earlier this season was greeted with pleasure by Wenger and now they will meet for the first time in the Premier League.
“This is the first time I’ll have played against Wenger — he’s been my friend for 10 or 12 years now,” Scolari said. “I met him in Japan for the first time and we are big friends.

“I came sometimes to London to watch Arsenal and, after the game, we discussed things in his house.

“He invited me to his home, we had dinner, we spoke about football and what I think about my team and about Arsenal.

“Our personalities are different — I was born in Brazil, him in France, our families are different. But we have the same ideas about football.”

Wenger has always preferred to let his players speak for him and he is delighted with the more civil tone to the pre-match build-up.

“I met him in Japan because he was over there for a while,” Wenger said. — AFP

Japanese Adventure At Heart Of London Showdown

LONDON: When Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari and Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger go head-to-head in today’s Premier League showdown, they will briefly put on hold a friendship forged in Japan a decade ago.

Scolari first met Wenger during a brief spell in charge of J-League club Jubilo Iwata in the late 1990s, while Wenger was running the show at Grampus Eight.

Although Wenger left for Arsenal soon after Scolari’s arrival, they met several times and quickly established a bond.

Wenger would go on to mould Arsenal into his own vision of a total football academy, while Scolari won the World Cup with Brazil playing an equally eye-catching style.

Scolari’s arrival at Chelsea earlier this season was greeted with pleasure by Wenger and now they will meet for the first time in the Premier League.
“This is the first time I’ll have played against Wenger — he’s been my friend for 10 or 12 years now,” Scolari said. “I met him in Japan for the first time and we are big friends.

“I came sometimes to London to watch Arsenal and, after the game, we discussed things in his house.

“He invited me to his home, we had dinner, we spoke about football and what I think about my team and about Arsenal.

“Our personalities are different — I was born in Brazil, him in France, our families are different. But we have the same ideas about football.”

Wenger has always preferred to let his players speak for him and he is delighted with the more civil tone to the pre-match build-up.

“I met him in Japan because he was over there for a while,” Wenger said. — AFP

Japanese Adventure At Heart Of London Showdown

LONDON: When Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari and Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger go head-to-head in today’s Premier League showdown, they will briefly put on hold a friendship forged in Japan a decade ago.

Scolari first met Wenger during a brief spell in charge of J-League club Jubilo Iwata in the late 1990s, while Wenger was running the show at Grampus Eight.

Although Wenger left for Arsenal soon after Scolari’s arrival, they met several times and quickly established a bond.

Wenger would go on to mould Arsenal into his own vision of a total football academy, while Scolari won the World Cup with Brazil playing an equally eye-catching style.

Scolari’s arrival at Chelsea earlier this season was greeted with pleasure by Wenger and now they will meet for the first time in the Premier League.
“This is the first time I’ll have played against Wenger — he’s been my friend for 10 or 12 years now,” Scolari said. “I met him in Japan for the first time and we are big friends.

“I came sometimes to London to watch Arsenal and, after the game, we discussed things in his house.

“He invited me to his home, we had dinner, we spoke about football and what I think about my team and about Arsenal.

“Our personalities are different — I was born in Brazil, him in France, our families are different. But we have the same ideas about football.”

Wenger has always preferred to let his players speak for him and he is delighted with the more civil tone to the pre-match build-up.

“I met him in Japan because he was over there for a while,” Wenger said. — AFP